How To Grow Sunflowers In Texas To Hunt Doves?

In Texas, planting sunflowers to attract doves for hunting is a rewarding task that requires careful timing and conditions. The planting season typically starts from mid-March to early April, and food plots should include plants that produce large seeds or grains. Common species planted for doves include sunflower, millet, sorghum, and sesame. To improve sunflower seed availability to doves, strips should be mowed through sunflower fields during late summer to create a more accessible area for them to feed on dropped seeds.

In Texas, sunflowers are usually planted in May to ensure the seeds are dry enough for dove access by September during Opening Weekend. Mourning doves prefer to feed on the ground, so it’s recommended to plant your dove food plot in rows, leaving bare ground for them to feed on dropped seeds. An alternative is to shred or disc rows in the standing crop, which allows doves to feed more easily and helps hunters locate harvested birds.

To plant sunflowers, fill the hopper with seed, find the right seed plate, set the planter depth, and start walking. Sunflower seeds are big and can lay dormant, but they need the right amount of nitrogen and potash. A native seed mix will grow no till, but needs to be seeded in the fall. Sunflowers can grow with very little soil prep, making them an ideal choice for Texas dove hunting.

What is the best food plot for dove hunting?

Wheat and millet are commonly utilized in dove fields, yet sunflower fields are recommended for successful hunting, as they have been found to yield superior results at Prairie Wildlife.

Do sunflowers do well in Texas?

Partridge pea, a sunflower variety, is best suited for the eastern half of Texas, as it thrives in full sun and requires little watering. It is a preferred snack for deer and some quail species and blooms through October. Zinnia varieties, a drought-tolerant substitute, are also suitable for Texas gardens. These cheerful flowers, favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds, prefer full sun but still need moist soil. Zinnias planted now will bloom in early fall.

However, cautions for extreme heat should be applied, including wearing a hat and sunscreen, working in the morning when it is less hot, and seeking shade as much as possible. Some Texas gardeners have even been known to garden at night with a headlamp.

What attracts doves the most?

Dove food plots are essential for attracting birds to your property. While sunflowers are traditionally the most popular planting, diversification can be beneficial. Mossy Oak BioLogic’s Grain Sorghum is an effective alternative that provides food for doves, quail, turkeys, waterfowl, and whitetails. It is also a natural cover plant for quail, deer, and rabbits, making it an affordable alternative to sunflowers.

Doves prefer disturbed areas like new construction, mowed fields, gravel roads, and harvested crop fields, so herbicide-based weed control is essential. Dove fields that are weed-free require bush hogging near the beginning of the hunting season to produce an ideal environment for feeding birds. If planting time is right, controlling weeds during the summer months, and offering ample open feeding areas will attract more doves.

Dove fields don’t require much space, and larger fields will attract more birds, but even small plots can bring in a few dozen or more daily. Splitting fields into two different locations allows for more shot opportunities and allows for multiple fields to be hunted simultaneously. Doves are prolific breeders and sensitive to hunting pressure, so offering multiple options is better than applying too much pressure.

Dove waterholes are another important factor to consider. Their diet and digestive system requires frequent drinking, especially during warm months. Standing water that is accessible to the birds is essential. Doves seek out areas with open access to water without much vegetation, such as cattails, and use these areas to sift for grit to help digest their food. Maintaining an area of open access with a gentle slope or stock tanks and ponds can improve hunting success. If no water is available on your property, doves may not be attracted as they have to travel longer distances to rehydrate.

What is the best fertilizer for sunflowers?

Nitrogen is the nutrient that most limits sunflower production. Therefore, it should be applied at rates based on expected crop yields, excluding credits for residual soil nitrates and nitrogen mineralized from soil organic matter.

What do sunflowers need the most?

Sunflowers require water, sun, fertile soil, and support from a stake or cane to grow and flower. They can be planted directly into the ground and protected from slugs or snails while still a seed. Birds can cause damage at harvest time. Choose your favorite sunflower seeds, which come in various varieties such as 3-meters tall, 50 cm, orange, brown, or dark red. Choose seeds that will make a big impression on the kids in the family and plant them in different pots. Label them with fun names like ‘Teddy Bear’, ‘Big Smile’, ‘Sundance Kid’, or ‘Suntastic Yellow Sunflowers’.

Plant sunflower seeds in the spring, between the middle of April and the end of May. Sunflowers don’t like frost, so wait until the last spring frost is over before planting. Starting in the spring is ideal, but if planting outdoors, wait until the end of May before transferring the seeds from the pot.

What is the best temperature to plant sunflowers?

Sunflowers thrive in temperatures between 70-78°F (21-26°C), but can survive higher temperatures with adequate water. They can grow in cool, sunny climates but cannot survive exposure to temperatures below 26 to 23°F for 6 hours. Choosing the right field with proper sunlight and temperature is crucial for healthy crop growth. EOSDA Crop Monitoring allows farmers to assess potential using daily temperature data and past active temperatures.

Sunflowers can grow in various soil types, but optimal yields are achieved on neutral soils with a pH between 6. 5 and 7. 5 and adequate drainage. If the soil pH is below 5. 5, lime can be added. The best soil for sunflowers is sandy loam, but clay loam or silty clay can be used.

What is the best sunflower to plant for doves?

A preference for small, black-oil sunflower seeds over other crop seeds was observed in a variety of bird species, including mourning doves. Peredovik, one of the few available varieties, became the standard sunflower variety for dove fields, thereby becoming a popular choice.

What is the best month to plant sunflowers?

Sunflower seeds should be planted directly into the garden after spring frost has passed and soils have warmed to at least 50°F (10°C), which occurs between April and mid-June in the northern half of the U. S. and Canada. Sunflowers are heat-tolerant, resistant to pests, and attractive to pollinators. They can be harvested in late summer and fall for a healthy snack or feed to birds. Sunflowers are annual plants with a daisy-like flower face and come in various colors, but are commonly bright yellow with brown centers.

They make excellent cut flowers and attract bees, birds, and butterflies. Sunflowers are heliotropic, turning their flowers to follow the Sun’s movement across the sky and returning at night to face the east, ready for the morning sun.

When to plant sunflowers in Texas for doves?

In the month of April, it is possible to plant sunflowers with the intention of attracting doves. It is imperative to gain an understanding of the recommended planting, harvesting, and agricultural practices for the hunting areas that are the focus of this study.

What is the best seed to spread for doves?

Sunflowers are a popular choice for dove hunters, but they are expensive and time-consuming. To plant red spring wheat seed, a chemical burn down is needed to keep the field free of weeds, which can stunt or choke the sunflowers. Doves prefer clean fields, so a burn down is essential for good hunts in September. Rounding up sunflowers in August may also be necessary to dry them out for seeds to drop.

To plant spring wheat, spread the seed and fertilizer in March or April, cover it with dirt, and burn the field in August to ensure the seeds drop to the ground. The right tools for planting include 120 pounds of red spring wheat seed, 90 pounds of Triple-13 fertilizer, an ATV, a compact ATV Disc Flip-Over, a harrow, a wooden pallet, cinnamon blocks, and a tow-behind seed spreader.

What is the best crop to attract doves?

Grains like sorghum are a great crop for attracting doves and providing a good cover for hunters. For states with a split dove season, plantings made in mid-June will be mature with seed shattering by the early season. This article discusses the importance of food plots for other game animals, particularly mourning doves. While food plots for deer and wild turkey may not increase the number of animals on land, they can enhance native habitat and make it easier to see animals. For mourning doves, properly planted food can increase the number of birds found on a tract of land, at least for as long as the food lasts.